Coating for wall construction

Abstract

A coating for wall construction is provided whereby a level 5 finish may be obtained without the need for a finishing coat or final skim coat. The coating may be applied to drywall elements prior to installation and is compatible with jointing materials such that a substantially homogeneous surface may be obtained after the drywall elements are assembled with jointing material and the jointing material is dried. The coating formulation includes a noncellulosic thickener, a binder, a mineral filler and water. A method for the construction of interior walls and a construction assembly for interior walls is further provided.

1 . A construction assembly for interior walls, comprising:
 skim coated drywall elements comprising drywall elements having at least one skim coat deposited on the drywall elements, the skim coat formed from a coating formulation comprising water, a binder, a filler comprising at least about 60% by weight CaCO 3 , and a noncellulosic thickener; and   at least one jointing material jointing the skim coated drywall elements to form a substantially plane outer surface.   
     
     
         2 . The construction assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one jointing material and the at least one skim coat form, in the dry state, a substantially homogeneous outer surface on the substantially plane outer surface. 
     
     
         3 . The construction assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drywall elements are flat, prefabricated elements. 
     
     
         4 . The construction assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the flat, prefabricated elements are gypsum wallboard. 
     
     
         5 . The construction assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the skim coat when dry has a thickness of between about 5 and about 60 mil. 
     
     
         6 . The construction assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the substantially homogeneous outer surface comprises a level 5 finish. 
     
     
         7 . The construction assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the skim coat is formed from a coating formulation further comprising about 0.1 to about 20% by weight anti-cracking agent and about 0.1 to about 5% by weight workability agent. 
     
     
         8 . The construction assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the anti-cracking agent is mica and the workability agent is clay. 
     
     
         9 . The construction assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the coating formulation further comprises a dispersant. 
     
     
         10 . The construction assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the binder is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 30% by weight, the dispersant is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 15% by weight and the thickener is present in an amount of about 0.05 to about 50% by weight. 
     
     
         11 . The construction assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the binder is an acrylic latex binder. 
     
     
         12 . The construction assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the acrylic latex binder is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 30% by weight, the dispersant is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 15% by weight and the thickener is present in an amount of about 0.05 to about 50% by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The construction assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the dispersant comprises a sodium polyacrylate. 
     
     
         14 . The construction assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thickener comprises a copolymer of an acrylic acid and an acrylic ester.